kennedy



I 1,643,383 Sept 1927' E. N. KENNEDY I SAFETY RAZOR Filed Nov. 22, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 /r/'ve/7f0r Z6 3 T :i:1i:i:1:::: 73 ffi/VEJf/VKKM/[W 24 b M M Sept. '27, 1927. 1,643,383

E. N. KENNEDY SAFETY RAZOR Filed Nov. 22. 1926 2 SheetsSheet 2 -4 '[wrsr AME/IMM- Patented Sept. 27, 1927.

UNITED STATES 1,643,383 PATENT OFFICE.

ERNEST NORBERT KENNEDY, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

SAFETY RAZOR.

Application filed November 22, 1926, Serial No. 149,815, and in Great Britain November 24, 1925. I

This invention relates to safety razors of the general type wherein a pivotally-supported blade is capable of being stropped without removal to a separate holder. The object of the present invention is to impart to a safety razor of this general type some of the advantages possessed by other wellknown types of safety razors the blades of which have two oppositely-disposed cutting edges. A further object is to provide improved means for looking a blade in its operativeor cutting position and for releasing it so that pivotal movement may be imparted thereto during stropping.

According to the present invention a safety razor is provided with a head having two blade-carrying portions including guards, blade-holders, and means for looking the blades in position for shaving purposes and for releasing them therefrom for stropping purposes, said blade carrying por tions being arranged back-to-back (i. e. with the cutting edges of the two blades remote from one another or outwardly directed), and said guards and blade-holders being movable, the blade-holder of each portion relatively to the guard and/or the bladeholder of the other portion, in order to permit such automatic and simultaneous reversal of both blades as is necessary for enabling the four sides of the blades to be stropped, alternately in pairs, on a single strop. F For this purpose the two blade-carrying portions may be adapted to be separated from one another to the extent necessary for enabling stropping to be performed, means being provided for locking said bladecarrying portions in mutual juxtaposition for shaving purposes, or alternatively, in mutual separation for stropping purposes.

One blade-carrying portion may be mounted directly on the razor handle and the other on an arm pivoted to said handle, the locking of said portions in mutual juxtaposition or in mutual separation alternatively being effected by means of a sleeve slidable on said handle or said arm.

50 In the known safety razor a roller is mounted beneath and parallel with the sp1ndie on which the blade is pivotal, said roller and spindle being connected together by a pair of gear wheels outside and at one end of the blade-carrying portion. In the improved safety razor, as the blade-carrying portions are arranged back to back, the gear wheels are disposed at opposite ,enjdag iand the locking of the blades in operative or shaving position may be effected byjajlug on one portion engaging a gear wheel (or a part connected therewith), on the other portion when said portions are brought into mutual juxtaposition. For instance, a fixed tooth or fixed teeth on one blade-carrying portion may enter between teeth of a gear wheel on the other portion and thus prevent said wheel from rotating, or an arm on one blade-carrying portion may engage an arm turning as one with one of the gear wheels on the other portion.

For convenience that part of the handle adjacent to the blade-carrying portions may be halved longitudinally, one half being integral with the handle, whilst the other half is pivoted thereto on a. transverse axis, said portions being mounted across the free ends of said halves, so that their backs intersect at right angles the plane of division of the handle. On the movable portion of the handle is a sleeve slidable therealong, which sleeve may be provided with lugs adapted to be suitably engaged with the fixed portion of the handle according as the bladecarrying portions are in juxtaposition or separated. This sleeve may be slid along the movable portion of the handle by the thumb of the hand in which said handle is held and, as soon as the lugs have been disengaged, continued movement of the thumb causes pivotal movement of the movable portion of the handle with consequent separation of the blade-carrying portions of the head, and unlocking of the blades. A slight return movement of the thumb enables the sleeve to be re-engaged, and a strop may then be threaded through between the bladecarrying portions and the rollers, and the blades stropped tandem-fashion.

The locking of the movable portion of the handle in its alternative positions could also be effected by mounting on the fixed portion of the handle a leaf spring having a lug adapted to be projected into either of two notches in the movable portion of the handle, the latter carrying a press button adapted for forcing back the leaf spring to disengage its lug from one notch and for releasing said spring, after the movable portion of the handle has been moved, to permit the lug to be projected into the other notch.

If desired the locking of the blades in position for shaving purposes may be effected as described in the specification of Letters Patent No. 184l,808 aforesaid, the pivotal movement of the movable guards being offected by trip lugs or the like on the two portions of the handle.

Instead of the blade-carrying portions being movable towards and away from one another as above set forth, the blade-holders and the parts immediately associated therewit y coiti sl'itute, a structure movabletomumm from the guards constituting-another structure, such movement taking place e. g. in a direction normal to the plane in which lie the cutting edges of the blades. In this form of the invention the strop would be threaded between the blade-holders, and the stropping of the two blades would take place on the opposite sides of the strep, respectively.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate one form of the inventiomFigure 1 is an elevation looking'in direction parallel to the edges of both blades of the razor; Figure 2 is an elevation viewed at right angles to the plane of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a plan looking in the direction of t e axis of the handle; the razorbeing shown in'Figures 1, 2 and 3 as ready for shaving. Figure t is a view similar to Figure 1, but showing the razor in process of being stropped, one of-the blades with its carrier and guard being in section. Figure 5 is a face view of a blade; Figure 6 is a similar view showing the bladelocking in its holder; and Figure? is a corresponding view of the holder without the blade. F igure 8 is a section on line 8-8 of Figure 2; and Figures 9 and 10 are respectively a side and an end elevation of the locking sleeve.

11 is the handle, whereof the forward part of the length is halved longitudinally,

the one half 12, which carries the one bladecarrying portion A of the razorhead being integral with the main part 11 whilst the other half 13, which carries the other bladecarrying portion B of the razor-head, constitutes an arm pivoted "to the part 12 on a transverse axis 1 1 normalto the-median plane of division.

The two blade-carrying portions A and B of the razor-head are duplicates of one another, and are placed back-to-back. 'Each comprises a transverse bar or cross-head 15, fixedto the part 12 or 13 of-the handle as the case may be, and having formed integrally wi h it a toothe'dguard 16 of usual construction; whilst at its ends the crosshead provided with -apair of upstanding brackets 17, 18 between which the bladeholder 19 is fitted to turn-upon trunnions journalled in hearings in the brackets, these trunnions being constituted by=the project- .in ends of a spindle v20 upon which the holder19 is fixed. Between the bladevholderspindle 20 and the crosshead 15 is mounted a cylindrical roller 21 which, like the blade-holder, 1s fitted to turn upon trunnions ournalled in bearings in the brackets 17, 18: the axes of the spindle 20 and roller arm adapted, when the two blade-carrying portions A and B of the razor-head are brought together into shaving position, as in Figure 1, to contact with a stop 26 projecting from'the bracket 17 of the other bladecarrying portion so as to lock the roller 21 against rotation in tile one direction, rotation in the opposite direction being prevented by contact of the blade-holder 19, through the blade 27, with the back of the guard 16. hen the blade-carrying portions A and B are separated from one another, as in Figure 4, each arm is freed from its coacting stop 26.and each roller 21 is thus permitted to turn, during the stopping operation, so as to bring the corresponding blade-holder 19 with its blade 27 from the position shown at the right-hand side to that shown at the leftl and side of Figure 1, and vice versa, at each reversal of movement of the razor as a whole lengthwise of the strop 22. For the purpose of lockingthe blade-carrying portions A and B in their-positions of mutual juxtaposition (Figure 1) or mutual separation (Fig- .ure 1), a sleeve 28, shown separately in Figures 8, 9 and 10, is fitted to slide lengthwise of the arm 13 and has a pair of lateral flanges or lugs 29, 29 which, whilst serving to retain the sleeve upon said arm. are adapted, when the parts 12, 13 of the handle are juxtaposed in shaving position as in Figure 1, to engage the sides of a projection .30 on the fixed part 12 so as to prevent mu sleeve is held by the thumb of that hand whieh holds the razor during shaving and stropping; after each of which operations the sleeve 28 may be slid by the same thumb upward towards the razor-head so as to u11-- All lock the parts 12 and 13 from one another, relocking in the new position being effected by a reverse movement of the sleeve under pressure from the thumb.

Each blade-holder 19 is of concave-convex cross-section, the blade 27 being held against the concave surface, which is turned towards the guard 16 during shaving, as indicated in Figure 1. Each blade 27 has a single cutting edge 32, but is reversible end-for-end, and is held towards the concave surface of the blade-holder 19 by means of abar 33 hinged to a stud 34.- fitted to turn in a hole in the bladevholder near one end of the latter; the bar 33, which normally extends substantially parallel to the edge of the blade and its holder, being adapted to engage in an undercut notch formed on a lug 35 fixed to the blade-holder near the other end thereof. The blade itself is positioned relatively to the holder 19 by the engagement of the stud. 34 and lug 35 with notches 36 formed at the ends of the blade; the action of the bar being to bend the normally flat blade 27 out of its own plane towards the concavity of the holder 19. Such bending may be assisted by forming the blade with a series of slots 37 parallel to'its edge 32.

It should be understood that the specific embodiment of the invention here disclosed is merely illustrative and that various changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the true spirit and scope of the inven tion.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is 1. A safety razor of the kind referred to, comprising a head provided with two bladecarrying portions including guards, blade: holders, and means for locking the blades in positionfor shaving purposes and for releasing them therefrom for stropping purposes, said blade-carrying portions being arranged baek-to-back, and the guards and blade-holders being movable, the bladeholder of each portion relatively to a part of the other portion so as to permit such automatic and simultaneous reversal of both blades as is necessary for enabling the four sides of the blades to bestropped, alternately in pairs, on a single strop.

2. A safety razor of the class described, comprising a head having two blade-carrying portions arranged back-to-back and adapted to be separated to an extent necessary to permit stropping, a guard on each blade-carrying portion, a blade-holder on each blade-carrying portion and movable with, respect to the corresponding guard to permit stropping on both sides of a blade held in such blade-holder, means for reversing said blades simultaneously to effect stropping of said blades alternately in pairs on opposite sides thereof on a single strop, and means for locking said blade-carrying portions in-juxtaposition for shaving purposes or in separated condition for stropping.

3. A safety-razor of the class described, comprising a handle, a head including two blade-carrying portions back-to-back and mounted one directly on the razor handle and the other on an arm pivoted to said handle for separation from the other to an extent necessary to permit stropping, a guard on each blade-carrying portion, a bladeholder on each bladecarrying portion and movable with respect to the corresponding guard to permit stropping on both sides of a blade held in such blade-holder, means for reversing said blade-holders simultaneously to enable said blades to be stropped on both sides, and means for locking said blade carrying portion on said arm in juxtaposition with the blade-carrying portion on said handle.

4, A safety-razor of the class described, comprising a head having two blade-carry ing portions arranged back-to-back and adapted to be separated to an extent necessary to permit stropping, a guard on each blade carrying portion, a blade-holder on each blade-carrying portion and movable with respect to the corresponding guard to permit stropping on both sides of a blade in said holder, means for simultaneously reversing each of said blades including a roller turning due to frictional contact with a strop and connected by gear wheels with the corresponding blade holder, means for locking said blade-carrying portions in juxtaposition, and means'including a projection on each blade carrying portion to engage a part connected withone of the gear wheels on the other part for locking each blade in shaving position when the blade-carrying portions are in juxtaposition.

5. A safety-razor of the class described, comprising a head having two blade-carrying portions arranged back-to-bacl: and adapted to be separated to an extentneces sary to permit stropping, a guard on each blade-carrying portion, a blade holder on each blade-carrying portion and movable with respect to the corresponding guard to permit stropping on both sides of a blade in said holder, means for simultaneously re versing each of said blades including a roller turning due to frictional contact with a strop and connected by gear wheels with the corresponding blade holder, the gear wheels for the different blade-holders being arranged at opposite ends of the head, means for locking said blade-carrying portions in juxtaposition, and means including a projection on each blade-carrying portion to ena part connected with one of the gear wheels on the other portion for locking each hl'ade Lin shaving position when the bladecanrying portions are juxtaposition, said projections being :at opposite ends of the head corresponding to the location of the gear-wheels.

26. .A safety .razor of the class described, {comprising a head having two bladecarry .i ng portions arranged back-to-back and adapted to be separated to an extent necessary -to permit sstropping, a handle having adjacent d head one-halt of the handle longitudinal her-eo liintegral with the main partof the handle and carrying one bladecarrying portion and the other half carrying the other blade-carrying portion and being pivoted to the first-mentioned half on a transverse axis normal to the plane of division, the backs of the respective blade carrying portions intersecting said plane at right angles to each other, a guard on each blade-carrying portion, a blade holder on each 'bl'ad'eecarlying portion and movable with respect to the corresponding guard to permit shopping on both sides of a blade held in such blade-holder, means for reversing said blade holders simultaneously to enab' le :the blades to be :stropped on bot-h sides, and means for locking said pivoted bladecarrying portion in juxtaposition with the blade-carrying portion fixed on the handle.

7. A satety razor of the class dese'ibed, comprising a head having blade-carrying portions arranged back-'to-back, a bladeholder on each of said blade-carrying portions, means for locking blades on said bladeholders in position'rtor shaving purposes and for releasing them for stropping purposes, and means for moving each blade-holder relat v e to said head in order to efiect such automatic and simultaneous reversal of blades as is necessary for enabling the tour sides o f the cutting edges of the two blades to be strop'ped, alternately in pairs, on a single strop passing through said head.

8. A safety razor of the class described, comprising a head having two blade-carrying portions arranged back-to-back and adapted to be separated to an extent necessary 1L0 permit stroppi ng, a blade-holder on each blade-carrying portion and movable with respect thereto to permit stropping on both sides of a blade held in such bladeho'lder, means for reversing said blades sii'nultaneously to eliect stropping of said blades alternately in pairs on opposite sides thereof on a single strop, and means for locking said blade-carrying portions in juxta-position 'tor shaving purposes or in sepa rated condition for stropping.

9. A safety-razor o f the class described, comprising a handle, a "head including two blade-carrying portions back-'to-back and mounted one directly on the razor handle and the other on an .arm pivoted to said handle for separation from the other to an extent necessary to permit stropping, :a hlad'edi'older on each blade-carrying portion and movable'with respect thereto to permit stropping on both sides of a blade held :in such blade-holder, means for reversing said blade-holders simultaneously to enable said blades to be stropped on both sides, and means for locking said blade-carrying portion on said arm in juxtaposition with the blade-carrying portion on said handle.

10. A safety-razor of the class described, comprising a head having two blade-carrying portions arranged back-to-back and adapted to he separated to an extent necessary to permit stropping, a blade-holder on each blade-carrying portion and movable with respect thereto to permit stropping on both sides of a blade in said holder, means for simultaneously reversing each of said blades including a roller turning due to frictional contact with a strop and operativcly connected with :the corresponding blade-holder to turn "the same, means for locking said blade-carrying portions in juxtaposition, and means including a projection on each blade-carrying portion to engage a part connected with the blade-reversing means on the other part for locking each blade in shaving position when the bladecarrying portions are in juxtaposition.

11. A safety-razor of the class described, comprising a head having two blade-carrying portions arranged back-to-back and adapted to be separated to an extent necessary to permit stropping, a blade-holder on each blade-carrying portion and movable with respect thereto to permit stropping on both sides of a blade in said holder, means for simultaneously reversing each of said blades including a roller turning due to frictional contact with a strop :and operatively connected with the corresponding bladeholder, the operative connections for the different blade-holders being arranged at opposite ends of the head, means for locking said blade-carrying portions in juxtaposition, and

means including a projection on each bladecarrying portion 'to engage a part connected with the blade-reversing means on the other portion for locking each blade in shaving position when the blade-carrying portions are in juxtaposition, said projections being at opposite ends of the head corresponding to the location of the operative connections.

12. A saietyrazor "of the class described, comprising a head having two blade-carrying portions arranged back-ta ack and adapted to be separated to an extent necessary to permit stroppi'n'g, a handle having adjacent said head one-half of the handle longitudinally thereof integral with the "main part of the handle and carrying one blade-carrying :portion and the other half carrying the other blade-carrying portion and being pivoted to the first-mentioned half on a transverse axis normal to the plane of division, the backs of the respective bladecarrying portions intersecting said plane at right angles to each other, a blade holder on each blade-carrying portion and movable with respect thereto to permit stropping on both sides oi a blade held in such blad holder, means for reversing said blade-holders simultaneously to enable the blades to be stropped on both sides, and means for locking said pivoted blade-carrying portion in juxtaposition with the blade-carrying portion fixed on the handle.

13. A safety razor of the class described, comprising a head having blade-carrying portions arranged back-to-back, a guard and a blade-holder on each of said blade-carrying portions, means for locking blades on said blade-holders in position for shaving purposes and for releasing them for stropping purposes, and means for moving each blade-holder relative to the corresponding guard in order to effect such automatic and simultaneous reversal of blades as is necessary for enabling the four sides of the cutting edges of the two blades to be stropped, alternately in pairs, on a single strop passing through said head.

14:. A safety razor of the class described, comprising two movable blade-holders each adapted to hold a blade, blade-guards one for each of said blade-holders, means for locking the blades in position for shaving purposes and for releasing them for stropping purposes, means for permitting relative movement of said blade-holders and guards to enable reversal of said blades, and means for automatically and simultaneously reversing both of said blades to enable the four sides of the blades to be stropped alternately in pairs on a single strop.

In testimony whereof I atfix my signature.

ERNEST N ORBERT KENNEDY. 

